Little Nation pp. 109-145

Purpose:  This assignment provides practice in summarizing and responding to reading as well as identifying your personal connections to the text.  Practicing these skills regularly will help you develop strategies for managing reading assignments in your other classes.  The reading process section of this assignment will help you develop your approach to understanding text and the strategies you use to manage reading challenges.

Skills:  Written Communication, Problem-Solving

Before you write your RRJ, read carefully, taking notes on the text as you go. RRJs should include the following:

A brief summary of the chapters (5-8 sentences) including major events, characters, and important information about setting (place and time).
Your response to the reading (5-8 sentences) including your opinions about and reaction to the assigned chapters.  This section is a place to think deeply about the book and the emotions and complex ideas it brings up for you.
An explanation of your reading process (5-8 sentences). Discuss specific parts that were confusing or that you have questions about. Share strategies that helped you overcome reading challenges. You can use these prompts to develop your ideas:
This reading went well for me because ______
The most challenging parts were __________ because _________
The strategies I used to figure these out included __________
This part of the text made me think of  _________ from my other class or other text/reading.
A possible topic from this section for my research project could be _______________. I am considering this topic because_________________.
A Connection to the role of police, media, schools, etc. in our neighborhoods. In this section of Little Nation, the author, Alejandro Morales, develops a strong critique of the role of powerful governmental and societal structures in causing and reinforcing destructive forces including gang and gun violence, the oppression of girls and women, and drug addiction.  Pay attention to local TV, radio, social or print media for several days.  Do you see any connections between the kinds of stories that you see in the media now and what is described in Little Nation?  What similarities or differences do you notice?  What reactions do you have to what you have observed?  (5-8 sentences)
To receive complete credit on every RRJ (20 points), thoughtfully complete the 4 sections, look at the rubric in Canvas to check completeness, and turn your RRJ in on time. The RRJs are a space for you to think through the readings without worrying too much about grammar, organization, or other requirements of more formal writing assignments. However, do your best to follow academic conventions such as capitalizing the pronoun “I” and avoiding slang or other kinds of informal language (unless used intentionally to more fully express your thoughts).

Organize your RRJ by the numbered sections above, or use this template: Little Nation RRJ assignment #5 Template.docx